Desmond Ryan facts for kids

Desmond Ryan (1893–1964) was an important Irish writer and historian. When he was younger, he was also a revolutionary who supported Sinn Féin and fought for Ireland's independence.

Desmond Ryan's Life Story

Desmond Ryan was born in London, England, on August 27, 1893. His father, William Patrick Ryan, was a journalist from Tipperary, Ireland. His mother was Elizabeth.

In 1906, when Desmond was 13, he moved to Ireland with his mother and sister. He went to St Enda's School in Rathfarnham, which was founded by Padraig Pearse. Later, Desmond even taught at the school and worked as Pearse's secretary for a short time.

Joining the Revolution

Desmond Ryan said that Pearse once told him, "Give me a hundred men and I will free Ireland!" Desmond and other former students from St. Enda's joined a secret group called the Irish Republican Brotherhood. They met in a safe house in Rathfarnham in 1911.

At first, Pearse believed in Home Rule, which meant Ireland would have its own government but still be part of the British Empire. But as World War I got closer, Pearse became sure that Ireland could only become truly independent through force. He started planning the Easter Rising with other leaders like Thomas MacDonagh and Éamonn Ceannt.

The Easter Rising

The Easter Rising was a rebellion in Dublin in 1916. Before it happened, a document called the "Castle Document" was revealed. It seemed to show that the British government planned to arrest Irish leaders. Desmond Ryan believed this document was a fake, made to encourage the rebellion. However, many historians today believe it was real.

Desmond Ryan fought in the Easter Rising. He was in the GPO building in Dublin, which was heavily attacked. He later wrote about the intense fighting. He described the rebels moving to Moore Street and heard Willie Pearse, Padraig Pearse's brother, say that they had decided to surrender to save their men from being killed.

After the Rising

After the Easter Rising, Desmond Ryan fought in the Irish War of Independence. This war was fought to make Ireland fully independent from Britain. However, he was very sad about the Irish Civil War that followed. He did not like the idea of Irish people fighting against each other.

He went back to studying at University College Dublin. After getting his degree, he became a journalist, just like his father. He worked for the Freeman's Journal in Dublin. In 1922, he moved to London to work for the Daily Herald.

Desmond Ryan wrote many books about important Irish figures like Pearse, James Connolly, and Éamon de Valera. He also wrote about the Easter Rising and the War of Independence.

In 1933, he married Sarah Hartley. They moved back to Ireland in 1939. Desmond edited a newspaper called the Torch, which supported the Labour Party. However, his ideas were different from the party's, so the paper stopped in 1944. Desmond and Sarah then moved to Swords in north County Dublin and ran a poultry farm. Desmond Ryan passed away on December 23, 1964.

Books by Desmond Ryan

• The Man Called Pearse (1919)
• James Connolly (Dublin 1924)
• Remembering Sion (London 1934)
• Unique Dictator: A Study of Eamon de Valera (London 1936)
• Sean Treacy and the Third Tipperary Brigade, IRA (Tralee 1945)
• The Rising: The Complete Story of Easter Week (Dublin 1949)
• Michael Collins and the invisible army (1932, reprinted 1968)
• The Phoenix Flame: a study of Fenianism and John Devoy (1937)
• The sword of light: from the four masters to Douglas Hyde 1636–1938 (1939)
• The 1916 Poets (1963)
• The Fenian Chief: a Biography of James Stephens (1967)

Books Desmond Ryan Edited

• The Story of a Success (by PH Pearse with a concluding chapter by Ryan) 1917
• Socialism and Nationalism (1948)
• Labour and Easter Week (1949)
• The workers' republic (1951)
• Devoy's post bag (with William O'Brien) (1948, 1953)
• Pearse: Collected Works (1924)

Books Desmond Ryan Translated

• Patrick H Pearse by Louis Le Roux (1932)